Wednesday, June 13, 2012

One of my favorite places is the National Gallery of Art. Not only is the Gallery very serene but it's one of the few places where all of the employees are very knowledgeable and helpful. The employees know where all of the paintings are located. I found this to be impressive given the size of the Gallery. My friend Diana,Brittany and I headed off for a day to the Gallery. We spent the entire day there, stopping for lunch in the Garden Cafe and later for coffee at the Gelatto Bar and Cafe. We browsed through the gift shop to find our favorite prints, some books on Impressionist painting and Chat Noir earrings (for Brittany). I took some photos to share with you.

Fountain at National Gallery of Art

Walkway to the East Building at National Gallery of Art

East Building Walkway

Rodin's Thinker in West Building of National Gallery of Art

Monet's Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers

Pond at National Gallery of Art Gardens

Monet's Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers is the only Monet painting on display in the Gallery at the present time. The Thinker is my favorite Rodin sculpture. In fact, I love the sculpture so much that I have a replica in my studio. So it was a rare treat for me to actually view the sculpture up close. Also at the Gallery were the Degas sculptures of the Fourteen Year Old Ballerina. Both the actual bronze sculpture and the wax cast were on display along with several Degas paintings. The Gallery does allow non-flash photography of some exhibits but to be on the safe side it's best to ask the guard for each room if photography is permitted.

For those of you who love art and are planning a visit to Washington, D.C. you may want to consider a trip to the National Gallery of Art. The Gallery has so much to offer and it's usually not crowded. I think it's the best kept secret in D.C.

This is one of the beautiful Calla Lilies from my gardens.

I have several projects lying around my studio in a semi-finished state. Among the projects are a Yorkie Painting and my Hello Kitty Fabric project both should be finished and ready for posting by the beginning of July.